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Heather Rochon’s struggle to find a job
FRANCIS RACINE inforeflet.news@eap.on.ca
CORNWALL | Holding a cigarette, Heather Rochon looks up to the fan on her ceiling. “I like it here,” she says. “It’s grown to be my home, the people are nice”. The 22-year-old has a freshly hung col- lege diploma that she received earlier this month, after she completed a two-year- long program. “I thought I’d come here for college then go back to Ottawa after I grad- uated,” explains Rochon. Like so many youth in Cornwall, the re- cent graduate is torn between staying in Cornwall, a city she loves, or leaving to go somewhere else, where she can find em- ployment. “I always wanted to be a fashion editor, I love fashion,” said the young wom- an.“But there’s just no way I’ll be able to find this here. Rochon, who has been out of work since April, has applied for any job she can find, such as at fast food restaurants, retail stores and grocery stores. She has also applied to certain positions outside of Cornwall in the hopes of finding employment there. “I’ve applied in British Columbia, Ottawa, Toronto and even Montreal,” she says. “Pret- ty much anywhere there’s a job posting.” But after being without an income for so long, her bills are beginning to pile up and Rochon is starting to worry. “I’m struggling to pay bills,” she says. “Not finding a job has put a lot of stress on me”. With rent, utilities and groceries, Rochon can now add her student loans to her list of expenses. Thankfully, she reached to On- tario Works, which has helped her both fi- nancially and with finding an employment. When asked about if she knows of anyone in the same situation as she is, she nods. “Of course” says a weary Rochon, “and it’s not just in Cornwall. ”The graduate then goes on to explain that several of her acquain- tances struggle to find employment, even after they have acquired a college diploma. “No one tells you that when you complete college there happens to be no job avail-
22-year-old Heather Rochon has a freshly hung college diploma that she received earlier this month but finds it hard to find a job in Cornwall, a city she loves. I’ve applied in British Columbia, Ottawa, Toronto and even Montreal,” she says. “Pretty much anywhere there’s a job posting.”
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able in your field,” she says. Rochon also highlights that she has had to drastically cut down on some of her expenses, such as better foods altogether. “I have stopped buying things altogether” she says with a heavy heart. “Going to the grocery store isn’t even fun anymore. I’ve been living off cheap food that is certainly not the healthiest”. She also admits that she can’t go out with friends anymore, for fear of not hav- ing enough funds. Asked what she misses
the most, she quickly replies that she yearns to just go out and not necessarily purchase something, but knows that she could. “Lit- tle things like a certain brand of shampoo or that pair of jeans at a reasonable price,” she says. Rochon is quick to point out, however, that the experience has taught her several life lessons. “I don’t need everything I want,” she says. “It sucks, but a part of life and you learn to appreciate certain things in a differ- ent light.”
Asked if she thinks Cornwall could change, the young woman ponders and an- swers: Yes. “I think Cornwall could change,” Rochon says. “I think that if there were ac- tually jobs in this city that this city could thrive. Cornwall has so much to provide yet chooses not to.” As she takes a deep breath, the Cornwall citizen concludes, calmly: “All I’m doing now is being optimistic and just keep try- ing. Something awesome will come way some day.”
Cornwall Journal
Cornwall Journal
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